How-To Store Your Cannabis (And Keep It STICKY)

How to Keep Your Kind Bud Fresh

Generally speaking, there are restrictions in most states as to how much medical marijuana patients can purchase at once. The amount is usually close to enough for a month’s worth. Three ounces can be enough each month for some people, however, whereas an eighth would be the perfect amount for others. People are buying and using it as needed, and because it’s being used to treat so many different medical conditions, the dosage can vary drastically from person to person. Even still, some patients buy the maximum amount each month that they are allowed to, and others max out their limits in order to stock up (wether it be due to an upcoming procedure, a current sale going on, or quarantine from falling sick).


Some states, on the other hand, allow people with medical needs to grow their marijuana at home. This increases the amount of medicine a patient can have on hand at any given time. So, even though most people don’t have to think about how to store their marijuana, if they grow it at home, it’s something to take into consideration once harvesting and curing have been performed.


Terpenes and flavonoids can be lost if you don’t store your cannabis properly. Potency can also be affected. Stored cannabis can become infected with microbes or mold, which can make it less potent over time. Then, ultimately your health could be in danger for not taking certain precautions. If you have questions about particular products, especially ones you are unfamiliar with, be sure to ask your pharmacist or bud tender before leaving the dispensary.


Now that cannabis has been legalized in an increasing amount of states in the U. S., new products exist to aid in the efficient storage of your weed. To keep your marijuana as good as it is, you’ll need to move away from zip lock bags – and into 2022.

What Happens to THC When It Goes Bad? does THC Content drop with Time?

Have you ever discovered an old joint in your home that you didn’t know you had? Chances are you smoked it, but weren’t necessarily satisfied by the results. While it can still get you high, the taste is off (if present at all), it doesn’t provide the best pain relief, and seems to have lost the overall luster of its previous prime. It won’t necessarily hurt you to take part in toking it, but there are certain things to look out for before ingesting questionable cannabis.

The following types of mold that can grow on cannabis flower over time are:

  • Powdery Mildew
  • Grey Mold (But rot)
  • Mucor
  • Cladosporium
  • Rhizopus
  • Aspergillus
  • Penicillium

The best way to know if your cannabis is safe to consume is to observe it up close, conduct a “sniff” test to see if it smells off (i.e. dusty, mildewy, musty like a wet basement, sweaty, ammonia-like or rotten). Some mold resembles cobwebs around the buds, with a webbing that looks cotton candy. This may also be the result of spider mites which clearly you want to avoid ingesting or inhaling. Buds that are correctly dried and cured will make a crisp snapping sound when you pull them apart. If it feels damp and makes no sound when you pull it apart, it was probably not dried correctly, increasing the chance of mold development.


Cannabis has a lot of THC in it, but it eventually loses its potency over time. For up to one year, the cannabis you bought at the dispensary can be stored in a safe place… But only if it’s stored the right way. The THC content in cannabis drops about 16% after a year, according to some tests and studies. THC is down 26% after 24 months. Your cannabis will have lost 24% of its potency after three years. When it’s been four years, the amount of THC has dropped by 41%.


But, let’s be real. The majority of people will not keep their cannabis for more than six months, much less a year. If they do, chances are they will still smoke it – and reap a benefit depending on their tolerance. As an alternative, if you’re allowed to cultivate your own marijuana, you could reap the benefits of a wide variety of strains. In that case, you’ll want to properly label and store them.

When TO Check Your Marijuana for Mold?

Having a little mold won’t kill most people. But it’s not a good idea to smoke cannabis with mold on it. Mold can also make people who have weak immune systems very sick, so this is something to be aware of. Especially when you inhale it. It can make you cough too much and make you feel sick if ingested in sufficient enough amounts regardless of health status, so mitigating as much risk as possible is generally the appropriate route for most patients treating a medical conditions.


Weeds with mold can be very hard to see at times with the naked eye. Remember, this is not the cheese you shoved in a plastic bag and forgot about in the back of your fridge! When mold grows on cannabis, it can look like small white dots or white powder. You can also contact the dispensary you purchased it from to inquire if anyone else has had an issue with that particular product. Sometimes, the state pharmacy board or MMJ program will have to implement recalls on products due to the potential risk that their barcode is associated with an infestation or quality issue.


Moldy weed smells pretty bad, however. Raw cannabis does smell dank, but this smells different. It’s like a smoky smell you might get when you clean a humid area of your home. if you smoke it, it has a strange taste that is not associated with the usual flavonoid suspects of cannabis flower.


The cannabis you purchase from a dispensary may, on rare occasions, contain mold. This can happen within a matter of a few days after purchase, or perhaps it was sold to you without proper inspection beforehand. If that happens, putting it in an evidence container and taking it back to the dispensary is the best way to do this. They might give you a credit or refund for the part that you didn’t use. It could also be replaced for you, although you will need to check with the dispensary you purchased from and ask about their return policy after letting them know you received a defective medication.

Why Should You Purchase Cannabis from a Dispensary?

First, you won’t get in trouble with the law. For most current cannabis users, that is a sufficient enough reason to pay the fee and get certified. Even with expungement and legislation on the horizon, many patients recognize that full legalization would still be up to the state within which they reside. In most states that are currently recreational or have decriminalized cannabis, they have maintained their state medical cannabis program because it provides patients with higher-quality medicine at a more affordable price (due to less taxation on the overall balance).

It’s also important to buy your marijuana from a dispensary to keep your health guarded in every possible aspect. Because each batch of a product sold at a dispensary is tested, you will not need to worry as much about where it came from. Not all cannabis facilities and cultivators are created equally. Third-party laboratories are frequently used in the recreational cannabis production process, but they are not held to the same standards or enforced by law enforcement agencies, medical boards, and code enforcement agencies.

To keep their licenses, growers, retailers, and processors must have their products tested by an outside company. People should not be harmed by a plant they are purchasing under the assumption it will benefit their overall health, and that’s why this is done. Sometimes, laboratories that are not being code enforced can become lax and even accept donations from cultivators who wish for their product to be listed as top tier. Apart from being prohibited, black market cannabis is most likely to contain harmful additives, especially ornamental sprays and pesticides.


Myclobutanil, also known as powdery mildew, is one of the most frequently found pesticides in black market cannabis. This is what it looks like. Fungicide spray is used on a wide variety of different crops – such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, and even cannabis – in order to try to reduce the possibility of mold risk in the overall yield. The majority of it is removed when your produce is washed, however. Researchers have indicated that it’s not significantly harmful when consumed on your food, though its still highly recommended that you should be thoroughly washing your produce prior to eating or cooking it.


When powdery mildew is heated, however, it can be very dangerous to people. When you blaze your bowl, a chemical reaction occurs if the cannabis you bought was treated with fungicide. When heated, myclobutanil degrades into hydrogen cyanide. That could harm your respiratory system in various ways, depleting its ability to function properly for years to come. Hydrogen cyanide can kill you if the concentration is high enough, although this is very unlikely without the presence of previously existing comorbidities (the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient).

How to Store Cannabis Properly

It is not necessary to store cannabis in a posh or expensive container to achieve the desired results. The best way to keep your weed safe is to put it in a mason jar with a rubber seal to keep the air out.


Cannabis should be kept in a cool, dark, and dry environment. This implies exposure to direct sunlight should be drastically reduced if not completely avoided. To prevent mold and mildew growth, keep your cannabis out of the bathroom and away from other spots that could fall victim to humidity or hight heat (aka the kitchen). It could quickly grow mold, fungus, and bacteria if your containers don’t keep the air out.


There are many other options if you really want to get even more involved and ensure your cannabis’ quality is preserved. A lot of the time, stash boxes come with sealed containers to assist you to store the types of weed and other things that you buy. Another good way to keep your bud safe is to put it in a sealed container or jar and freeze it (after inspecting the container to ensure it is safe to freeze). If you’re using plastic bags, double them up (bag inside the bag) to keep the cannabis dry. If you have them, use the air-tight container bags that are meant to be used to freeze foods Because they’re thicker, they protect your product better.


Keep your cannabis out of the fridge! Even if you think you’re using an appropriately sealed jar, your fridge has already been full of bacteria and mold. Cleaning it often will not remove this concern, at least not completely, because there is also a lot of other food and meat in the fridge at any given time.


You might want to try Boveda if you prefer your cannabis to be sticky rather than crispy after storage. To perfectly regulate moisture, take a glass jar with a rubber seal and insert one of the Boveda packs. Dispensaries now carry these types of products to give you the option to maximize the shelf life of your purchases. Other smokables, such as cigars, can also be protected by them. Don’t hesitate to ask what your local dispensary carries in way of this goal next time you stop in!

Still curious?

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Ohio Green Team – Medical Marijuana Doctors & Recommendations
1733 W Lane Ave Suite 6, Columbus, OH 43221

Call today! (614) 639-0257

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